At the time of writing, DCOM is a standard part of the Windows NT 4.0 distribution, but is an add-on for Windows 95. DCOM for Windows 95 is expected to be included as a standard system component of the next major release of the Windows 95 operating system.
A copy of the released version of DCOM for Windows 95 is also included on the Visual C++ 5 Professional Edition CD.
You can download the latest version of DCOM for Windows 95 over the Internet at the following URL:
http://www.microsoft.com/oledev/olemkt/oledcom/dcom95.htm
A utility that you'll need to configure DCOM for Windows 95 is called the DCOM Configuration, and can also be downloaded from the same URL.
Even if you've installed Windows NT 4.0 release distribution, it's important that you have applied the latest Service Pack for the operating system. As of the time of writing, Service Pack 2 for Windows NT 4.0 is available. This Service Pack brings the DCOM component and related libraries up to the same level as the DCOM for Windows 95 release. You can find the Service Pack at the URL:
http://www.microsoft.com/ntserversupport/Default-SL.HTM
To bring your development environment up to the same level as these DCOM products, you'll need the Win32 SDK Update for Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 2. This update is delivered as a standard part of the Microsoft Developer's Network subscription CD, the April 97 edition or later. It can also be downloaded at the following URL:
http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/platformsdk/sp2sdk.htm
Once you have all the above pieces assembled together and installed on your system, you're ready to explore the capabilities of DCOM by following through the code samples. Let's first look at the installation process for DCOM for Windows 95.